Federal Airlines and Mayday-SA Sign Industry-First MoU to Lead the Way in Mental Health and Wellbeing in Aviation
Mayday-SA is proud to announce the signing of a first-of-its-kind Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Africa between an aviation industry peer support service provider (Mayday-SA) and a commercial airline/charter operator, Federal Airlines. The agreement was signed on Friday, 2 May 2025.
Mayday-SA is a not-for-profit company with public benefit status that serves the aviation industry through volunteers who provide support on mental health and wellbeing to all aviation professionals, such as pilots, cabin crew, maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers, and aviation management.
The focus is on providing non-judgemental support from peers who understand the constraints of the job when someone is confronted with a work-related incident, accident, medical certification challenge, or a training difficulty. It is known that when an aviation professional is not mentally in a good space, there can be negative safety implications as performance may be affected.
However, such impairment in performance is not only limited to work-related incidents but may flow from an array of life stressors such as life trauma, a hijacking, or grief. Mayday-SA also has a network of aviation-experienced psychologists providing oversight and training to the peer volunteer debriefers, which aids the appropriate response to whatever an aviation professional may require.
The signing of the MoU is a groundbreaking event for the industry and for Mayday-SA, formalising an agreement to provide support to Federal Airlines when their operational staff or management may be in need of support. It also serves to embed the salutogenic (health-promoting) approach to mental health and wellbeing, whereby awareness and education on the maintenance of mental health and wellbeing is provided to Federal Airlines. This formal partnership reflects Federal Airlines’ unwavering commitment to the safety, performance, and holistic well-being of their crew, on the ground and in the skies.
The ultimate outcome of this MoU is that safety is the winner. Mayday-SA wishes to honour Federal Airlines CEO, Lourens Engelbrecht, and their Safety Manager, Wade Laing, for leading the way in the industry.
